Hiring internationally trained workers

Why hire internationally trained workers?

Significant portions of Canada’s workforce have training and experience gained outside Canada. These internationally trained workers (ITWs), including immigrants, refugees, international students and Canadians who trained or worked outside of the country, represent a valuable source of skills and talent and a growing proportion of Canada’s talent pool.

Hiring and retaining ITWs can help you:

Meet your labour needs. ITWs will play an increasingly significant role in Canada’s labour force.

Increase your competitiveness. Many ITWs have the skills and talents to help your organization compete in the global marketplace.

Access new markets. ITWs may speak languages and have knowledge of cultures that can help you develop new local and global markets.

Make your organization more effective. ITWs can bring fresh perspectives into your organization, stimulating new thinking and introducing more effective ways of doing business.

Connect you with other valuable workers and organizations. ITWs may be able to link you to other prospective employees and connect your business to useful national or international organizations.

This guide offers information to help you find, assess, hire and retain ITWs. It includes helpful tips, practical tools and useful resources.

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Updating your organization’s staffing strategy and practices to effectively hire and retain ITWs can help you build more effective recruitment and employment programs for all workers.

Who can work in Canada?

All permanent residents can work in Canada

Newcomers with permanent resident status in Canada are authorized to work for any employer they wish to.

Work permit holders can work in Canada

Foreign nationals can apply for a work permit to work temporarily in Canada. Many have employer-specific work permits. This means that they can only work for the employer named on their work permit. In some cases, as an employer, you may need to obtain a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) before a work permit can be issued. A positive LMIA will show that there is a need for a foreign worker to fill the job and that no Canadian worker is available.

In other situations, the worker may be exempt from the LMIA requirement. If that is the case, you will still need to provide job offer information directly to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) through the Employer Portal.

Conditions on a temporary work permit can include the work they are permitted to perform, the location of their job, the hours of work and the date when their work permit expires.

Some foreign nationals have an ‘open’ work permit, which allows the individual to work for any employer in Canada.

Some international students can work in Canada

Many full-time post-secondary international students holding a valid study permit are eligible to work off campus for up to 20 hours per week and full-time during academic study breaks, such as during summer and winter holidays or spring break. No separate work permit is required for students in this situation – the authorization to work will be printed directly on their study permit.

Recruiting and assessing internationally trained workers

You can more effectively access ITWs by identifying and removing barriers in your recruitment, assessment and selection processes.

Make sure everyone involved in hiring is aware of the value of international skills and credentials.

Provide diversity and cross-cultural training to all employees, including those involved in hiring.

Focus on the skills and job experience of the candidates rather than on where they came from or where they gained their education and experience.

Outline the selection and interview process in your job postings.

When advertising jobs, let workers know that you value international credentials and competencies.

Let potential candidates know that your workplace is inclusive and that it welcomes diversity.

Help prevent exploitation by verifying that any third parties recruiting individuals on your behalf are complying with relevant federal, provincial or territorial laws that regulate recruitment.

The recruitment process

Attract the best possible candidates and assess their qualifications fairly and accurately. If you can’t find Canadian citizens or permanent residents to do the job, consider expanding your search to include Express Entry candidates or temporary foreign workers.

There are four steps in any recruitment process:

defining the job,

finding potential candidates,

assessing the candidates’ credentials and experience, and

selecting the best candidate.

These steps are closely linked. How you define the job will affect the candidates you attract, the way you assess their abilities and your final selection.

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Review your recruitment process: Make sure it is barrier-free. You may decide to provide diversity and cross-cultural training to staff who are involved in hiring.

Determine the language skills needed for the job: Some jobs require a high language skill level, while others do not. Consider selecting workers who do not speak fluent English or French for positions where basic language skills are sufficient.

Try to overcome language barriers when recruiting: Use plain language, free of jargon and slang, in your job postings and advertisements. Consider advertising in languages other than English or French, for jobs that do not require a high language skill level.

Promote ethical recruitment: Verify that you, or any third party acting on your behalf, remain compliant with any federal, provincial or territorial law that regulates recruitment.

Defining the job

A clear, comprehensive job description will attract ITWs.

Define the essential skills required for the job. These skills provide the foundation for learning and make it possible for people to grow in their jobs and adapt to workplace change.

Define the duties, responsibilities and other requirements of the job. The National Occupational Classification can help you determine the main duties or responsibilities, employment requirements and titles for a wide range of occupations.

Use information available in your industry. Many industries have developed national standards that can help you define requirements.

Specify the licensing or certification required by law for regulated occupations. In some circumstances, it may be possible to hire at a lower level of responsibility and help the

candidate obtain the required licensing while on the job, in part by providing workplace experience. If this applies to you, state this in your job postings.

Consider voluntary certification that may apply to non-regulated

occupations. If you prefer candidates who have this certification, state this in your job postings.

Ask for relevant work experience instead of Canadian work experience. For many jobs, relevant work experience is what matters, not the country where the work was done. In some provinces and territories, it is now considered discriminatory to require Canadian experience.

Determining the importance of language skills

As an employer, you may be concerned that ITWs are not proficient enough in either English or French to communicate effectively in the workplace.

Communication is important. But before you assess a candidate’s language skills, consider the following:

What language skills are needed for the job? Some jobs may not require a high level of language proficiency, while others may need specific job-related language abilities. (See Assessing credentials and experience)

Weakness in language skills can be overcome through language training or on-the-job experience.

Do not be fooled by accents. Some ITWs may be very proficient in English or French but speak with an accent or use different vocabulary. Keep in mind that some positions require minimal communication skills. Consider filling these positions with candidates who are still learning how to speak English or French proficiently.

Assessing credentials and experience

There are many organizations and resources that can help you assess and verify international credentials. Some of these resources are specific to a sector or to an occupation; others are more general.

To apply for permanent residence through one of Canada’s economic immigration programs, potential newcomers may be required to have an Educational Credential Assessment performed by one of the organizations that have been designated by IRCC. These are not the only organizations performing this service; however they are the only bodies that are recognized to provide assessments for immigration purposes. You may find this assessment useful when determining how international education compares to Canadian standards.

As an employer, understanding and effectively evaluating international credentials and experience will help you to find employees that best meet your needs. To ensure that you have all the information you need, be very specific about what must be submitted alongside a job application. Resources are available, such as the Canadian Information Centre for Credentials, to help you assess both these materials and the ITW candidates.

Foreign Qualification Recognition is the process of verifying education, training and job experience obtained in another country and comparing it to the standards established for Canadian workers.

Assessment and verification of international credentials

Foreign certificates, diplomas and degrees may be equivalent to Canadian educational credentials.

Educational credential assessment agencies can assess foreign educational credentials and tell how they compare to Canadian standards. You can find some of them through the Canadian Information Centre for Credentials.

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Be aware of the time it takes to have credentials assessed; allow for this in your hiring time lines.

You can ask potential employees to have their credentials assessed as part of their job applications.

You can inform applicants about credential assessment services in your job advertisement and put a link to these services on your organization’s

Consider recognizing the applicant’s educational credential assessment (which they may have obtained for immigration purposes or as part of the application process for another job) rather than requesting additional documentation.

Other resources

In regulated occupations and skilled trades the relevant provincial or territorial regulatory body is the authoritative source of information on all aspects of foreign credential recognition for the regulated occupation.

Some sectors have voluntary certification systems that can be used to assess the abilities of ITWs in non-regulated occupations.

Prior Learning Assessment Recognition services are available at many colleges and institutes. This is the identification and measurement of skills and knowledge acquired outside of formal educational institutions. Prior Learning Assessment Recognition can establish competency equivalencies for skills and knowledge gained outside of Canada and can determine eligibility to practice a trade or profession.

Assessment and verification of competencies

Competency refers to the scope of skills, knowledge and abilities needed to perform specific tasks and duties. You can benefit by using competency-based testing to assess all candidates for a job.

Measuring competencies

Use existing occupational standards, which have been developed by sector councils and professional associations for many industries. Consult the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials for contact information. You can assess the competencies of ITWs against these standards for specific occupations.

Develop practical tests when possible. Practical tests allow you to see the candidate “in action” and assess their actual abilities.

Ask candidates to describe how they meet specific competencies. This will give you concrete examples of relevant experience that ITWs have in a field or job, or in performing specific tasks.

Language standards

Make your hiring more effective: Identify the language skills you need and those you can foster.

The Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks (CCLB) has developed national standards for measuring the English or French language proficiency of adult newcomers and prospective newcomers. You can use these standards to help define language requirements.

The CCLB has worked with language experts in Canada to identify the language level required to work in certain professions. Two methods frequently used are “benchmarking,” which involves a needs assessment of an occupation and occupational language analysis.

An occupational language analysis identifies the language skills required to perform in a job, based on the Essential Skills Profile and the National Occupational Standard, as developed by a sector council or regulatory body.

Several sector councils, national associations and regulatory bodies have also developed sectoral or job-specific language testing and training materials. For regulated occupations, many ITWs have their language skills assessed as part of the licensure process. The provincial or territorial regulatory body responsible for certification can tell you more about language requirements and processes.

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Give candidates time to prepare for interviews. Remember that a candidate may be nervous during a job interview and that his or her language skills may appear worse than they are. Make allowances. Give candidates advance notice of interviews so that they can properly prepare.

Concentrate on what the applicant is saying. Candidates may be proficient in English or French but speak with an accent or express themselves differently. Make allowances. Focus on the content. A good candidate’s language skills can be improved through training or on-the-job experience.

Certification, licensing and licensure

The job you are trying to fill may be in a regulated occupation that requires a licence or certificate, or licensure, to practice. As an employer you can support this process.

If licensing requires Canadian work experience, consider hiring candidates in a related, unlicensed position until they meet the licensure requirements of the job for which they applied. Encourage your employees to pursue licensing or licensure by providing time for their studies or by offering financial supports.

Regulatory bodies can provide you with more information regarding credential assessment for their profession. Some occupations have also developed certification tools.

Legal considerations

In Canada, federal and provincial laws protect employers and workers. Laws set minimum wage levels, health and safety standards, and hours of work. Human rights laws protect employees from unfair treatment based on many factors, including sex, age, race, religion, or a disability.

In some provinces or territories, requirements for Canadian experience may be viewed as discriminatory. For example, the Ontario Human Rights Commission launched a policy directive denouncing the requirement for “Canadian experience” as discriminatory and suggested very limited circumstances for its use.

Familiarize yourself with these laws. They apply to ITWs. You should also be aware of any provincial or territorial laws that provide additional protection for foreign workers. Following these laws can help ensure that talented staff remain dedicated and loyal to your organization.

In addition to provincial and territorial laws relating to recruitment and employment, employers hiring foreign workers under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program or International Mobility Program must comply with program conditions. Consult Employment and Social Development Canada and IRCC for more information on employer compliance.

Finding internationally trained workers

ITWs, including immigrants, refugees, international students and Canadians who trained or worked outside of the country, have skills and experience you need. Different backgrounds, abilities and perspectives bring innovation and dynamism to the workplace.

Finding internationally trained workers in Canada

There are many local links to ITWs.

Settlement service provider organizations help newcomers, including refugees, settle in Canada and find employment in their new community. They can connect you with the job-ready newcomers they serve. You can find these organizations with this IRCC tool.

Canada’s Job Bank is a free and easy-to-use, bilingual website that provides job listing and labour market information tools to connect workers and employers across the country.

Your existing employees may be able to refer you to ITWs.

Associations and networks may have programs aimed at placing internationally trained workers in employment.

Community partnership initiatives, such as Francophone Immigration Networks and Réseaux de développement économique et d’employabilité, help connect employers with potential employees.

Local immigrant employment councils have tools and resources to assist employers who wish to attract, hire and retain skilled ITWs.

Job fairs can bring you face to face with promising candidates in your region, community or sector. You can join a job fair as a participating employer.

Universities and colleges provide many services, including bridge-to-work programs and placement services that connect ITWs with employers. (Refer to information on international students in Who can work in Canada.)

Immigration options for internationally trained workers

If you are unable to find candidates already living in Canada with the skills and experience you need, you may want to explore options for recruiting ITWs from overseas. To hire a foreign worker, you must go through one of several federal or provincial/territorial immigration programs.

It is important that you do further research into what immigration program most suits your needs, as well as your responsibilities, if you choose to support the immigration of an ITW to Canada through one of these immigration streams. Find more information about employers looking to hire ITWs.

To hire a worker temporarily, you must decide if you need to use the Temporary Foreign Worker Program or the International Mobility Program. IRCC provides a service for employers to help them if they are not sure. Find out if you need a Labour Market Impact Assessment.

If the position you are hiring for is for a skilled occupation and is permanent or long term, you may wish to consider using the Express Entry system and supporting the individual in applying for permanent residence. Find out how to hire permanent workers.

Quebec establishes its own immigration requirements and selects newcomers who will adapt well to living in Quebec. Employers should be aware that ITWs who want to come to Canada as Quebec-selected skilled workers must first apply to the Quebec government for a certificate of selection (Quebec Selection Certificate).

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Immigration programs are designed so that you do not need to use a representative to navigate the system.

However, you may wish to use an Immigration Representative to help you in the recruitment process. Using a representative is a personal choice and there is usually a fee for this service.

If you want to recruit a Francophone ITW overseas, you can attend the Destination Canada international job fair.

Best practices in hiring internationally trained workers

Successful selection

Clear and precise job descriptions, open recruitment practices and fair, equitable and accurate assessment processes will enable you to select the best workers for the job.

You may want to make a specific commitment to hiring ITWs for your organization. You may also want to allocate a number of positions to bridge training programs.

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Follow a defined selection procedure.

Use a consistent, equitable set of criteria when hiring for similar positions. An evaluation table is helpful when comparing candidates.

Recognize the value and transferability of international skills and credentials.

Consider all aspects of a candidate’s profile, including international education and experience.

Invite a human resources advisor (or hire a consultant) to assist in the interview process.

Integrating and retaining internationally trained workers

You can successfully integrate and retain ITWs. This section explores:

Training, mentoring and career development.

Creating an inclusive workplace.

Evaluating your success.

Training, mentoring and career development

Your support for the training, mentoring and career development of your ITWs offers many benefits.

These include increased productivity, an improved ability to adapt to new technologies, employee retention and the ability to attain or maintain employee accreditation/licensure.

Training programs

You can provide training courses or peer-to-peer practical training in the workplace. You can also tell your workers where training is available.

Skills training: This can include academic, technical, literacy and essential skills, such as computer skills or working with others. Training may be offered by community organizations, municipal libraries and community centres.

Taking Action: A Guide: Essential skills training can help boost the productivity, innovation and overall competitiveness of your business. This guide outlines a step-by- step process, including helpful strategies and useful tips, for developing and integrating essential skills training in the workplace.

Job Enhancement and Essential Skills: Job enhancement training gives an employee new responsibilities or tasks that further develop his or her skills or abilities. It is an effective way for employers to help their employees, including ITWs, improve their essential skills. It also requires few resources to be successful.

Language training: ITWs may benefit from language training, in English or French. This can include labour market and occupation-specific language training.

Cultural and communications training: This helps all workers interact more effectively with colleagues, suppliers and customers. Communications training develops presentation skills and helps workers communicate their ideas more clearly.

Organizational training: Like all new employees, ITWs benefit from training that focuses on your organization’s norms, practices and expectations.

Mentoring programs

Mentorship is particularly valuable to ITWs, as a mentor will expand their professional networks and their awareness of Canadian workplace culture.

Mentoring programs create a welcoming environment, foster diversity in the workplace and help existing staff members enhance their cultural competencies and awareness.

Career development

Career development opportunities are important for all employees and for your organization. Be sure to make these opportunities available to ITWs.

Include ITWs in formal leadership development programs.

Be open to new forms of leadership and collaboration. Don’t overlook the abilities of ITWs just because they don’t reflect the norm in your workplace.

Provide coaching and courses to develop communication and leadership skills. Remember that ITWs may have unique needs based on their cultural backgrounds, abilities, training and work experience.

Support workers who are pursuing certification, licensing or licensure. Your organization could benefit by providing financial support for examinations, or by offering workers paid time off to prepare for and write important examinations.

Creating an inclusive workplace

The best way to improve the morale of your organization and ensure the dedication of your employees is to create a welcoming workplace. Make sure that this welcome extends to ITWs.

Create a climate where all workers are welcomed by their colleagues and managers, and let everyone know that this is important to your organization.

Provide a formal orientation program that makes new workers feel valued and included.

Pair ITWs with existing staff members; if possible, with people who share the same cultural backgrounds.

Connect newly arrived ITWs with people and community supports that will help them and their families settle.

Provide diversity and cross-cultural training to all staff. In some parts of Canada, Immigrant Employment Councils (listed below under Regional resources) can assist you in providing this training.

Celebrate your cultural diversity in posters, newsletters or other communications. Hold social events that celebrate different cultures.

Participate in and support initiatives related to hiring, mentoring, promoting and retaining ITWs. Encourage everyone in your organization to participate.

Identify workers to champion diversity in your organization. Include them in decision making, and give them the scope and resources to implement special initiatives to create an inclusive culture.

Understanding cultural differences

You may wonder whether a worker from a different cultural background will “fit in” to the culture at your workplace. You may be concerned about how other employees will react to and interact with ITWs. Address these concerns by preparing your workplace to embrace diversity.

Your workplace is likely already diverse. There are many different types of diversity, from age, gender and sexual orientation, to religion, political views and favourite music. Remind staff of the existing diversity in your workplace. This will encourage them to welcome additional diversity.

Design your assessment and selection process to help you determine if the worker can do the job regardless of cultural background.

Provide training in cross-cultural communications to all your employees, including ITWs.

Remember that cultural differences can be bridged.

An inclusive workplace benefits everyone.

Make ITWs an effective part of your organization

Include ITWs in the development of new processes, products or services. Their unique perspectives may present effective new ideas.

Watch for hidden skills that may not have been identified during the hiring process. Their diverse backgrounds can be a rich source of skills and talents. Find appropriate ways to use these skills and talents.

Recognize and use their cultural knowledge, language skills and international networks to develop international business or marketing programs aimed at specific local markets.

Use their language skills to translate materials and to provide customer service in multiple languages.

Evaluating your success

Is your investment in ITWs worthwhile?

Evaluate and celebrate your success. Share your best practices.

Track how may ITWs you are employing. If you have made a commitment to hire ITWs, or allocated positions to work transition programs, assess your progress on a regular basis.

Track how ITWs are succeeding in your workplace. Are these workers appropriately employed for their skills and qualifications? Are they advancing within your organization? (Note that it should not be compulsory for workers to participate in any tracking process that goes beyond your regular assessment process.)

Share how ITWs have contributed to your workplace. Celebrate your success with stories in internal newsletters, press releases to community or trade publications, or reports to shareholders.

Share what you have learned from recruiting and working with ITWs. Contribute best practices or case studies to your industry association or sector council. Offer to speak at industry workshops, community group meetings, immigrant employment councils, or immigrant-serving organization events. Offer to work with educational institutions or industry associations that seek to improve skills training and foreign credential recognition programs.

Offer to work with educational institutions or industry associations that seek to improve skills training and foreign credential recognition programs.

Federally funded services to help attract, hire and retain newcomers

IRCC’s Settlement Program funds services that support the long-term integration of ITWs in Canada (outside of Quebec). These include providing access to the labour market.

These services are delivered by a wide variety of organizations and are geared towards permanent resident ITWs and refugees. They are not open to temporary residents, such as temporary foreign workers, or to Canadian citizens.

Labour market supports for newcomers

IRCC-funded labour market supports are available for ITWs of all skill levels. Most supports are intended to help ITWs find and retain employment that is aligned with their education and work experience. Services and supports include job-specific language training, essential skills training, Canadian workplace orientation (for example, work placements), mentoring opportunities, job-bridging programs and classes that help prepare for the licensing or certification process.

Job-bridging programs

Job-bridging programs help internationally trained newcomers enter the labour market in both regulated and non-regulated professions, in which they already have training and experience. This is accomplished through a combination of sector-specific labour market supports. These supports may include job-specific language training, job-search skills, workplace orientation (for example, work placements) and classes that help prepare for the licensing or certification process. In order to fulfill education or other professional requirements, job-bridging programs often include academic and technical training.

Job-bridging programs offer employers valuable opportunities.

You can sponsor a work placement and potentially hire an ITW, or offer a more permanent position when hiring.

You can provide an opportunity for your current ITWs to upgrade their skills in order to meet specific needs, such as licensure or accreditation. This ensures that their skills meet Canadian standards before you make a more permanent hiring commitment.

Supports for employers

The Government of Canada recognizes the important role that ITWs play in helping to address labour shortages and the important role that employers play in contributing to the successful integration of ITWs.

IRCC’s Settlement Program provides services to help employers attract, hire and retain newcomers. These include opportunities for employers to connect with newcomers in person and on-line through job fairs, job banks and job matching services coordinated by service provider organizations. Diversity training also helps employers create a welcoming environment.

Immigrant Employment Councils, often funded by IRCC, work to engage thousands of employers. They offer services to help meet the challenges of a diverse workforce, while facilitating mentoring and work opportunities for ITWs. Immigrant Employment Councils provide tools and resources to employers to enhance their capacity for hiring, developing and retaining newcomers. These include diversity and cross-cultural training for staff who are involved in the hiring process.

IRCC’s Employer Liaison Network helps Canadian employers learn about how the immigration system can be used to support hiring needs and to help drive economic growth.

Employers can contact the Network – located in six cities across Canada – to get up-to-date information for both temporary and permanent economic immigration programs and to learn more about the Global Skills Strategy and how to use Express Entry.

The Employer Liaison Network can also help employers connect with skilled workers overseas, including French-speaking or bilingual candidates, and assist Canadian employers of temporary foreign workers already authorized to stay in Canada with their transition to permanent residence. To reach an Employer Liaison Network officer, email EEengagement@cic.gc.ca.

Additional federal, provincial and territorial supports for employers

Other services, including those funded by federal, provincial and territorial governments, may also be available in your area. The Canada Job Grant, a central feature of the Canada Job Fund Agreements, is designed to help workers, including ITWs, get the training they need for access to available jobs. Employers determine what skills training best meets the needs of their business. The Canada Job Grant is cost-shared with employers who can apply for grants of up to $10 000 to support the direct training costs for new or existing employees.

Alternative careers

IRCC funds alternative career sessions for internationally trained newcomers. These sessions show newcomers how the skills and experience they acquired outside of Canada can be applied to a new related career, and clarify options for alternative careers in Canada.

Internationally trained newcomers are able to connect with a broader set of employers and employers are able to recognize the transferable skills and experience offered by newcomers.

Newcomer participants find the information useful for their Canadian job search, while employer participants gain insight into the skills and experience that newcomers can bring to their organizations.

The Federal Internship for Newcomers (FIN) Program

The FIN Program is a growing, award-winning Government of Canada program delivered by IRCC. It helps permanent residents and Canadian citizens who have been in Canada for less than 10 years gain relevant work experience and addresses key barriers to newcomer participation in the labour market. FIN Program candidates undergo a rigorous selection process and are highly qualified and ready to work in fields such as policy, research, administration, project management, computer science and finance.